This application claims the priority of German application 198 20 336.5-16, filed in Germany on May 7, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to an armrest for a motor vehicle seat which is pivotally movable between two latching locations.
In a known armrest of this type (German Patent Document No. DE 40 35 856 C2) , the bearing device has two bearing housings that fit together and are preferably made of sheet metal. In this housing arrangement, a latching lever that can disengage when a specified vehicle deceleration occurs as well as a flexible sliding element are mounted and contained with the sliding element braking the pivoting movement of the armrest latching the end positions of the armrest. The sliding element consists of an independent molded plastic part fitted exactly into the two-piece bearing housing.
A goal of the invention is to provide an armrest of the species recited at the outset in which the bearing device is simplified, reducing the components and simplifying assembly.
This goal is achieved in an armrest for a motor vehicle seat attachable by means of a bearing device and a pivot axle and pivotable between two latching locations of the bearing device that delimit the pivoting range around a pivot axis, a stop that moves with the armrest being associated with said latching locations, with the bearing device having first and second assembled parts and a flexible sliding element that brakes the pivoting movement of the armrest and latches the end positions of the armrest, wherein the flexible sliding element is integrated in one piece into the first part of the bearing device.
Because the flexible sliding element is a one-piece component of one part of the bearing device, this bearing device is reduced to only two approximately plate-shaped parts. This reduces the number of components. The manufacturing cost for the single part that is accordingly made of a one-piece sliding element can be still further reduced, especially by designing it as a molded plastic part. The two parts can be combined into one unit rapidly and simply. This simplifies assembly of the bearing device.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.